ENGLISH BOOKS ABROAD [To the Editor of the SpEcr4rOn.] •
SIR,--Has any British Government or any. British publishing house ever carried out any sustained large-scale literary campaign on behalf of anything whatever outside the British Isles ? - British people are probably not aware of the number of the English-reading public in India. To take the case of Bengal with its University town of Calcutta. The average 'number of students who sit for the Matriculation-Examination every. year-at-the Calcutta-University exceeds 17,000; and-the number of students who sit for one or other of the. many examinations of the same University reaches. an average of 32,000 every year.
The English people at home do not probably know how jopular H. G. Wells, Bernard Shaw, and Galsworthy are with
the literate public in general, and stliderits of the universities
in particular. At a local lending library Outline of History is aliva3is bribked for two or three Months in advante, and while awaiting their turn members will not take out any other hOok because in so doinethey might be prejUdicing their claim to the Ourtline. 'It is the sane case with every work of Shaw: Now India is a pick' country. Naturally the prices of most new English books seem too dear to us. The piobf that new English books are too expensive for'India is the simple fact that Of the average Engliith book India, 'despite its millions in search of EnroPean cultural thought—and that naturally through Englishbnya only half Of the quantity taken by South Africa and Canada-reach and one-twelfch of the quantity taken by Australia. There are, however,' Some' very admirable organizations for the 'cheap production Of out-of- copyright English books,' e.g., in the " Everyman'S Library " and in the " World's Classics "-series.. But an organization is needed in England which should study the special require- intents of the various parts of the Empire and recommend certain books to be published cheaper for the Indian. and Overseas markets' shnultaneously with their publication at home. In this way considerable profit can be made because of a large-scale-sale, even if the books be priced low. How is it that in Germany the publication of the works of the more popular English and American authors, in the original language; almost simultaneously with their appearance at home at abbot" One-third or quarter the original price, has been a commercial possibilitY ? •
Some time ago an acquaintance of mine, who has just returned from Germany, showed me a set of all the works of . . . •
Shaw. published in. Germany, in , the original English, and bound in red cloth and gilt, priced at RM. 2.50 each, which is
.
exactly equivalent to 2s. 6d., and the price of Shaw's works
• , in England is generally 7s. 6d. or 10s. per Vrilurne.—I am, Sir,
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